Exciting arts lineup at Conn College

September 22, 2016 4:00 am • Last Updated: September 22, 2016 1:42 pm

The most exciting, dynamic and innovative performances and exhibitions in the region — including the dance company known for bring hip-hop to the stage, the saxophonist who embodies the legacy of soul and funk, and the theater company that creates bold, new works — are presented at Connecticut College, and the community is welcome to share in the bounty.

The college’s 2016-17 arts season is filled with world-class music, theater, dance and visual art, presented by artists from a wide array of cultural and creative backgrounds and perspectives. The arts at Connecticut College are designed to entertain, educate and inspire, and have been doing so since the College first opened in 1915. It’s this lively history of connecting living and learning with creativity, intellectual pursuit and social action that makes the Connecticut College arts program so distinctive.

“It is through our critical engagement with music, theater, visual art and dance that we are encouraged to see the world and ourselves in entirely new ways,” said Connecticut College President Katherine Bergeron. “We reflect more deeply, think more critically and act more compassionately. That’s the transformational power of art.”

This power fuels the educational mission of the College, helping students learn to look at problems through multiple lenses and spot unexpected points of convergence. It also provides a tremendous opportunity for local residents to enjoy the kind of bold new programming that’s just not available anywhere else in southeastern Connecticut.

Innovative Performances

Take The Civilians, for example. This Obie Award-winning theater group will be in residence at Connecticut College for two weeks in September, putting the finishing touches on its newest play. “The Undertaking,” a new work of investigative theater that explores what it might really mean to be alive, premieres at the College on Saturday, Sept. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in Palmer Auditorium. After the premiere, The Civilians take “The Undertaking” to Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) for a five-day run before heading to Paris in October.

Later in the season, SITI Company will remount and restage its production of “Room” at Connecticut College. “Room,” a solo tour de force based on Virginia Woolf’s writings, traces the movement of a creative spirit in exquisite crisis. It is a play that captures many voices and portrays them through one actress.

“We’re the launch pad for two innovative theater companies that are creating and finalizing work right here in New London. It’s incredibly exciting and gratifying to be able to bring these kinds of artists to the campus and to our neighbors in New London and the region,” said Director of Arts Programming Robert A. Richter ’82. “We’re trying to make it even more convenient for people to come to the College for arts programs—with better directional signage and new lighting.”

Community Involvement

In addition to the performances at Connecticut College, staff often connect artists with local schools and other community-based organizations. The College also hosts matinee performances, provided free of charge to local schools. Friday, Oct. 21, a school-time performance by Rennie Harris Puremovement— the dance company known for taking hip hop from the streets to the stage—will be the highlight of the week for many middle and high school students. The longest existing hip hop dance company worldwide, Rennie Harris Puremovement brings its 25th Anniversary Living History Tour to the Palmer Auditorium stage at Connecticut College Saturday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m.

The contemporary string quartet ETHEL and Robert Mirabal, a Native American musician and three-time Grammy Award winner, will bring their latest musical collaboration inspired by water to local middle school students and the concert stage at Connecticut College’s Evans Hall on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m.

Stellar students and faculty

The performances by extraordinary artists from around the world are complemented by the College’s own stellar faculty and students who present a wide range of theater, music, dance and visual arts on campus and in the local community.

Connecticut College Faculty Art Exhibition 2016

Friday, Oct. 14-Friday, Dec. 9

(Closed Nov. 23-27)

Joanne Toor Cummings Gallery

Cummings Arts Center

Reception: Thursday, Nov. 3, 5:30-7 p.m.

Artist’s Gallery Talk: Wednesday, Nov. 16, 4:15-5 p.m.

Dance Club Fall Performance

Featuring choreography by Connecticut College students

Thursday, Friday & Saturday, Oct. 27-29, 7:30 p.m.

Martha Myers Studio, College Center at Crozier-Williams

Tickets: $6; Students and Seniors $4